Enter message
My children are not absent, but they constantly receive the message that school is not important, or even optional: closure during COVID, strike lasting several weeks, repeated educational days, closure at the slightest bad weather, frequent replacements teachers, etc. It is easy to understand that some people get the message.
Hugo Delaney, Montreal
Viruses don’t take time off
My child is absent because he is ill. We closed schools for months, my child can take a few days off to get back in shape! Sending a congested child to school is no longer the norm, and viruses don’t take time off! It’s not a few days that will make the difference.
Susie Larivière, Lachine
Beneficial absences
Our boy is often absent from school in the winter to practice an elite sport (alpine skiing). He can easily miss twenty days of school in a four-month period. I can assure you that these absences in his case are beneficial. Our boy is very good at school and tends to get bored in class, because learning is too slow for him, and as school is made to help those in difficulty and not take care of the gifted, it It’s a long time for him.
Miguel Ouellette, Mont-Laurier
Mental overload
I work in a vocational training center and my students are 16 and over. In general, I notice two types of absences: many medical appointments and the others are often “physical ailments” that magically disappear after a day or two. When we talk to these students, I notice a lot of mental overload or fatigue due to poor sleep management, ruminations or gaming.… These are the same elements that pushed my daughter-in-law to miss school, so I make a connection.
Julie Simard, Matane
Every child is different
My daughters take time off when they are sick or injured, or when they have away competitions. And also we are going to the South outside of spring break (with permission from management). I consider that as long as my children do the exercises and study requested by their teacher during their absence, and their grades maintain themselves, there is no problem. It would be different if they had learning disabilities. The personal situation of each child must be taken into account.
Julie Campagna, Rimouski
A long wait for urgent needs
Even if my children are not absent from school due to mental health problems, I want to respond to Minister Bernard Drainville’s comment, who tells parents who need help for their children to seek help. request social services. One of my children is awaiting urgent psychological follow-up with the CLSC following a request from Sainte-Justine almost a year ago. When his case was taken up, I was informed that there was at least a nine-month wait for urgent psychological services. Can the minister really blame parents for not receiving help?
Catherine Thibault, Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu
For family vacations
Our children are absent for various reasons, such as medical appointments (pediatrician, dentist, orthodontist, neuropsychologists, and so on!) As specialists are very busy, we have little choice on the date and times of our get together. Also, unlike private schools which have combined many educational days, our only weeks of vacation scheduled in the calendar are March break, Christmas vacation and summer. It’s almost impossible for a family of four to go on a reasonably priced vacation during these dates! Parents therefore choose to take family vacations during less busy periods to pay less and to the detriment of school attendance.
Stéphanie Vallée, L’Île-Bizard
The waltz of viruses
Since the pandemic and the return to face-to-face school, my children have never been so sick… Cold, gastro, flu, the viruses come one after the other, more frequent and intense than before. For my oldest, now in 1D secondary, it is particularly striking; he missed 10% of his school year last year, and is on the same track for the current one. He’s just back at school following a three-week break from pneumonia!
Andréane Paré, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Mental health problems
I am a pediatrician in Lévis, Minister Drainville’s riding. The majority of children who are absent for extended periods of time are my patients with anxiety. Yet another seen this week. Her mother sought help, but all the organizations against school dropouts are full and cannot help. The psychologist met at the CLSC closed her file after a few meetings; she was not authorized to continue the follow-up. It’s terrible.
Before, it was more problems of organic (physical) origin that caused absences, now it is mental health problems. I am ready to organize a group of parents from the region to meet Minister Drainville, who says he wants to be close to his people. There are either no resources, or resources that are not accessible or do not have the time necessary to help.
Then, when we have to implement innovative solutions to allow the return to school, the school team does not always collaborate, not fully understanding the different mental health challenges that our young people face.
Valérie Labbé, Saint-Romuald
1. Read “Almost 10% absent from class”
reference: www.lapresse.ca